RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 6 star Kyran Thrax has opened up about her experience of being groomed as a teenager, sharing her story on a recent episode of the show.
At 13, Kyran was targeted by a 23-year-old man who befriended her on Facebook, pretending to be a teenager. After gaining her trust, he was welcomed into her family home in Chorley, Lancashire, where the abuse began.
Kyran eventually discovered his real age and reported him to the police, when he was later convicted and sentenced to prison.
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In this exclusive interview with Attitude, the Lancashire queen shares why she chose to speak out, her message encouraging others to seek support, and how her past has shaped her confidence and drag persona.
What motivated you to speak about your experience on Drag Race?
It was a conversation that I felt like would come up anyway because it’s so important to me. I’ve done work to raise awareness for this for years. I didn’t necessarily go on to Drag Race knowing that this conversation would come out, but it didn’t surprise me that it did. Talking to La Voix, she asked where my confidence comes from, and I felt like I’d be doing a disservice to myself by not explaining where this confidence really comes from.
I feel like everything was shown and captured really well. Obviously, it’s edited down, but the conversation is basically exactly how it went. La Voix was just looking out for me and being there for me throughout the rest of that day.
What was it like to revisit those painful memories on national television?
I’ve spoken about this quite a lot before, but it really kind of took me by surprise how much it affected me talking about it there. Drag Race is such an intense experience anyway, so I found myself almost surprised at how much emotion came out of me. I didn’t want to show a crack or any kind of weakness, but letting that guard down just felt so overwhelmingly intense.
Have people been reaching out to you since the episode aired?
There’s been thousands of messages of people thanking me, people saying that they feel seen. Parents have reached out, saying that they’ve watched it with their children. It’s been amazing because it’s a scary thing to talk about and to open up about on television. You’re never really sure what the response is going to be.
I’m appreciative for everybody that’s been reaching out, for being able to chat about this, and for having the opportunity to tell my story on Drag Race. It was told in such an amazing and delicate way, and I’m just so grateful.
You said your mum played a key role in helping you rebuild your confidence. How did she support you?
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I hated myself so much… there was so much anger, hatred, and guilt. My mum would tell me every day to look in the mirror and tell myself that I love myself, that I’m talented, that I can do whatever I want to do. For so long, I didn’t believe it, but then I slowly started to. My mum was always there for me, even though she’s struggled with her own confidence. It’s always just kind of been me and my mum against the world.
Is this an ongoing healing process for you?
Yeah, definitely. It’s something I can’t speak for anyone else, but I feel like it’s something you can’t truly ever heal from. It’s always ongoing. I’ve gone to therapy so much, tried to process everything, but sometimes something will happen, like my conversation on Drag Race, and I realise so much pain is still there. I think it’ll be a long process for the rest of my life, to be honest.
What is grooming?
Grooming involves someone forming a bond, gaining trust, and establishing an emotional connection with a child or young person to manipulate, exploit, and eventually abuse them.
Children and young people who are groomed may face sexual abuse, exploitation, or trafficking.
Groomers can be of any age, gender, or background, and the grooming process might unfold over a short or long timeframe – ranging from weeks to years. Sometimes, groomers also work to gain the trust of the young person’s family or friends, presenting themselves as reliable and authoritative.
For others who might be in a similar situation but lack a support network, what advice would you give?
It’s just knowing that you’re not alone, no matter how alone you feel. Even if you do have a huge support network, it can still feel isolating. But there are resources, charities, and so many people that help young people through this. The Children’s Society was there for me when I was at my lowest. It’s just knowing that you’re not alone, no matter how alone you feel or you physically might be.
You undertook a trek in Brazil to raise funds for The Children’s Society. Can you tell us about that experience?
I raised a couple of thousand pounds for The Children’s Society as a thank you for everything they helped me through. I did a trek through the Brazilian rainforest for about two weeks, and it was one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done in my life. It felt like a way to repay them in any small way.
Are there any public figures who inspired you to reclaim your narrative?
Not consciously, but obviously subconsciously I’ve taken in so much from so many people. Queens on Drag Race have shared their stories, and it’s always been inspiring. One person who comes to mind is Blair St. Clair, who talked about her experience with abuse on season 10 of the US Drag Race. That really hit hard.
Do you plan to do more advocacy work on this issue?
I would love to do anything that comes my way. Everything that has come my way, I’ve said yes to when I can. I did a BBC News segment when I got to drama school, but it was a bit of a scary time because the response was mixed. But now that I’ve been given a bigger platform on Drag Race, I’d love to do whatever I can to continue raising awareness for this.
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 6 currently airs every Thursday on BBC Three and the BBC iPlayer from 9pm.